The invention pertains to the general field of pillows, bolsters and other body props, and more particularly to an adjustable body guard that is placed between a person lying in a hospital-type bed and the bed""side rails.
Specially-designed beds for use by injured or non-ambulatory persons have been in use for a long time. The most common example of this type of bed is the hospital bed. Typically, a hospital bed is single-sized with electrically-powered means for raising and lowering both the lower or upper leg section, and/or the torso section. Additionally, there are usually side rails on each side of the bed. These rails are used to prevent a patient from accidentally rolling off the bed, and therefore are constructed from a strong, rigid material such as metal.
A hospital bed with the rails raised may prevent a patient from rolling out of bed, but it may also cause sheet entanglement painful contact with the metal rails, patient""s limbs being caught in the rails, or underweight patients slipping through the rails. Some patients prefer to remove or lower the rails to increase comfort, thus nullifying their safety and effectiveness.
There have been attempts to remedy this situation by the use of pillows or other similar items, which are placed parallel to the patient on either or both sides. Unfortunately, the majority of these remedies have not completely alleviated the problem. Obviously, if there were some why to provide a bed-confined individual with the necessary safety requirements, while at the same time providing a comfortable and positionable adjustable body guard, it would be a benefit to both patients and those who care for them.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,679 discloses a prop to hold a patient on his/her side while in a hospital bed in which a standard-sized hospital pillow is stowed in a rolled condition within a launderable sleeve. The sleeve has a flap that is tucked beneath the patient""s side which allows limited patient rolling movement against the prop which contributes to patient comfort. The flap also keeps the prop close to the patient so that drastic movements which could cause injury do not occur.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,863 discloses a lateral slumber support wedge for supporting a user, such as a pregnant woman, in a lateral slumber support, while lying down on either the left side or the right side. The wedge provides compressible, but firm support for the spine and pelvic region of the user. The wedge has a triangular cross section, and an interior body made of foam, which can provide support, but which conforms to the spinal and pelvic regions of the user. The wedge also includes a fabric cover which is permanently sewn to a bed sheet dividing the sheet in half so it can be used by the user lying on either the left or right side.
The U.S. Pat, No. 3,938,205 discloses a body positioner that is formed from a block of polyurethane foam having resilient characteristics capable of deformation and of permitting the passage of air. The positioner has an unsymmetrical pentagonal cross-section and a length substantially greater than its width so that the positioner can be rotated to provide for a variety of adjustable continuous positioning support surfaces.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited patents.
The adjustable body guard, (hereinafter ABG), is designed to be attached to the side of a bed, and more particularly to a set of side rails, which are found on many hospital beds. The ABG includes a prop that is designed to be attached to left side rails and a prop that is designed to be attached to right side rails. Each ABG is comprised of an elongated, resilient section that can be made with two articulated sections or preferably with three articulated sections. When the three section ABG is attached to the side rails, the three sections can be positioned to conform to a person lying on the bed.
The articulated ABG functions to prevent a patient from rolling off the side of the bed, to reduce sheet entanglement and to prevent pain that occurs when a patient repeatably makes contact with the hard metal side rails. The ABG prevents a patient""s limb(s) from being caught in the rails, and underweight persons from slipping or partially slipping through the rails.
The ABG has a quarter circle cross-section with the radiused portion facing the patient. Although the quarter circle is preferred, the ABG can, for special cases, be made with circular or elliptical cross-sections. Additionally, to protect the ABG from being soiled, a full or partial cover can be attached over the ABG. The cover is preferably made of a washable material such as cotton or flannel, to assure hygiene.
In view of the above disclosure, the primary object of the invention is to produce an ABG that is easy to use, to maintain and that can be articulated to conform to the body of a bed-confined patient and to the articulation of an adjustable hospital bed.
In addition to the primary object of the invention, it is also an object of the invention to produce an ABG that:
prevents a patient from placing their arms and/or legs between the mattress and the bed rail,
can prevent moving arms and legs from striking the metal bed rails,
can be used as a pillow,
adds comfort and security to a patient lying in bed,
can be dimensioned to accommodate most patients,
is durable,
maintains the bed sheets and blankets in a tucked position,
can be made in different materials and colors, and
is cost effective from both a manufacturer""s and consumer""s point of view.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.